Professional basketball team Daegu KOGAS snapped a 10-game losing streak with a heartbreaking home loss to Busan KCC, which saw the return of national team forward Song Kyo-chang.
The team defeated KCC 96-81 in an away game of the 2023-2024 regular season at Sajik Gymnasium in Busan on Friday afternoon.
The victory was a valuable one for KCC, which had lost a franchise-record 10 straight games, beginning with an 80-84 loss to Samsung Electronics in Seoul late last month. It was the second win of the season for KOGAS (10th-12th).
On the other hand, KCC, the pre-season favorite, failed to rebound, losing for the seventh time in seven games. KCC has fallen into an extreme slump with just one win and six losses in their last seven games.
Hopes that the addition of national team forward Song Kyo-chang, who completed his military service with the Korean Armed Forces Athletic Corps, would improve the team’s performance were dashed by a team that had lost 10 straight games at home.
Korea’s first men’s and women’s professional basketball doubleheader turned into a heartbreaker for the home team, as Busan-based women’s team BNK lost 54-63 to Bucheon Hana OneQ at the same venue, followed by KCC’s loss.
After giving up 24 points to Samjosef Belangel in the second quarter, KCC was already down 39-60 at the end of the first half.
Coach Jeon Chang-jin made a game-changing decision to bring in Song Kyo-chang for the first time this season with five minutes left in the half, but the team was unable to close the gap as Andrew Nicholson-Chabawi scored five straight points to make it 58-81 early in the fourth quarter.
For KOGAS, Belangel exploded for 30 points, including five 3-pointers, to spearhead the comeback.
Song Kyo-chang added three points and three rebounds in the comeback win.
Changwon LG moved into sole possession of second place with a four-game winning streak after blasting Goyang Sono 80-49 at home.
With its latest four-game winning streak and sixth straight home victory, LG improved to 9-4, pushing second-place Seoul SK (8-4) to third. They are three games behind first-place Wonju DB (13-2).
Leading 32-28 at halftime, LG held Sono to just nine points in the third quarter and poured in 24 points to take control.
LG’s Yang Hong-seok finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, while Asem Marei recorded a double-double with 15 points, 12 rebounds, five steals, and four assists.
Sono’s 49 points on the night were his team-high for a single game this season.
The previous team record for points in a single game this season was set by SK in a 50-69 loss to LG on April 4.
The previous record for fewest points scored by a team in a single game in professional basketball was 41, set in 2012 and 2022.
Sono shot just 5-of-36 from three-point range on the night and lost the rebounding battle 32-49, snapping a three-game losing streak.
The Ulsan Hyundai Mobis continued their strong play against Samsung with an 80-66 victory on the road, their fifth straight win against the team.
With seven wins and a 5-percent winning percentage, Hyundai Mobis closed the gap on fifth-place Suwon KT (7-5) to one game.
Like LG, Hyundai Mobis pulled away in the third quarter.
Leading 40-36 at halftime, Hyundai Mobis scored 28 points in the third quarter and allowed just 16 to pull away from Samsung.
Hyundai Mobis was led offensively by foreign players Gage Prim (20 points) and Kebe Aluma (18 points).
For ninth-ranked Samsung (3-11), Choi Seung-wook led the team with 13 points. 사설토토
